Having a ball: Napoli coach Rafa Benitez presents a gift to Pope Francis during a special audience at The Vatican

Team game: Pope Francis poses with Napoli and Fiorentina players ahead of their Coppa Italia final

Getting shirty: Pope Francis is given a Napoli's jersey, with the name 'Francesco' and number 1 printed on it, from Napoli president Aurelio de Laurentiis

The Pope is an avid football fan and a supporter of San Lorenzo in his native Argentina.

Saturday’s final will see Fiorentina bidding for their seventh Coppa Italia crown and their first trophy in the Diego Della Valle era, the businessman who rescued the club in 2002 when they were relegated to the old Serie C2.

Victory for Napoli would see Benitez celebrate his first season in charge with a trophy, while his side are also on course to qualify for next season’s Champions League.